Serena Williams‘ first year of motherhood on tour was marked by two Grand Slam finals and a number of show-stopping Nike outfits, primarily her Roland Garros catsuit and her US Open ballerina dresses. Let’s have a look at the American’s 2018 style, as part of my annual Fashion Retrospections.

For her big comeback at the BNP Paribas Open, the 37-year-old opted for a black sleeveless dress with gold Swoosh detail at mock turtleneck and geometrically textured insets at armholes, chest and skirt.

Since becoming a mom, Serena likes to have her legs covered, so she also wore leggings and accessorized with armsleeves.

The controversial Roland Garros catsuit catered to Serena’s health (specifically her blood clots) and her love of extravagance.

The unusual look got all the people talking and after the tournament the French Tennis Federation even said that similar attire would not be allowed any more, deeming it inappropriate as “one must respect the game and place”.

Personalized footwear is always part of Serena’s style and it’s here to stay.

At Wimbledon, Serena wore a simple white long-sleeved Nike dress, but she introduced fishnet tights which became a staple of her fashion in 2018. The reason was again blood clots and to vamp up the look.

Tulle skirt, single long sleeve and nude colorblock at chest to mimic an off-shoulder look made this dress stand out from everything we’ve seen so far in the WTA fashion.

Completing the look was this PE version of the NikeCourt Flare shoe.

As you can see, when we approach it technically, Serena’s 2018 fashion was defined by long sleeves and leggings/fishnet tights. Overall, Serena’s first year as a mom on tour once again pushed boundaries of WTA fashion and reminded everyone that we’re dealing with a fearless champion.